Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-04-17
DARING FORGERIES.
TIE HAux OF THE Hx STATE rnEA.
suRIR FREELY USED.
Remarkable Development IN the Matter
Of Virginia Bonds which
We're Rejected.

The Riddleberger act was passed
February II, 1882.
For the printing on steel plates Of
the bonds, 30 authorized 10 be issued,
two bids were received-one from the
American Bank-Note Company, the
other from the Kendall Bank Note
Company, both of New York. The lat
Ger was the lowest, and Treasurer d. II.
Reveley and Second-Auditor II. II.
Dyson, q majority of the Board OF Com
nissioners OF the Sinking Fund, re-
solved 10 award the work TO Kendall !;
s. Brown Allen, Auditor OF Public Ac-
counts, voted "No," and insisted that
the contract should be awarded the
American Company.
Kendall went to work engraving and
printing the bonds, but before he had
them ready the board rescinded his
contract and gave the job TO the Ameri-
can Compsny-Treasurer Reveley hav-
ing left Mr.. Dyson and gone over to
Mr.. Allen.
THE KENDALL COMPANY REFUSE TO RE-
The Kendall Company refused to
recognize this annulment of their con-
tract. BY the middle OF July they had
their first lot Of bonds ready, and
shipped them here by express to the
hoard. The board ordered the package
to be sent back to New York, but the
counsel of Kendall, Edgar Allan, Esq,
telegraphed and wrote Kendall not TO
take back the bonds; not to touch
them that they belonged TO the State
OF Virginia, and the courts would make
the State pay for them. This package,
IL is believed, was returned to New
York, and perhaps there sold with other
unclaimed freight, and it Is thought
that it was bought by some party who
proceeded to use the bonds after sign
ing thereto what purported to be the
names of the Treasurer and Second
Auditor Of Virginia.
THE REMAINDER.
The balance of the bonds Kendall
shipped here later on. These, too, the
board refused to receive, and they lay
in the express company's Office here
vertised TO sbe sold with other I'M
claimed freight, and, to prevent the
bonds falling into irresponsible hands,
were bought by the Democratic board
that had then come into powerful,
Messrs. Hartman, Ruffin, and Marye-
and are now safe in the Treasurers |
Office at the Capitol.
Kendall having, as he claimed, faith |
fully discharged his part of the con-
tract, brought suit against the board.
Judge Wellford's court gave him judg- |
ment. The Supreme Court of Appeals
affirmed it, and now he is asking the
Legislature for an appropriation to pay
his long-deferred account.
THE REAL NEW IS.
Meanwhile the Malone board pro-
ceeded to issue the Riddleberger bonds
as required by law. None of kendalls
printing was ever used. The bonds
issued have all been of those printed
by the American Company, and it was
thought that those from Kendall's
presses were safely housed from dan
gerous hands. But the sequel proves
that the first lot printed by Kendall and
shipped here have fallen into rascally
hands and are now being used to cheat
the public as for the State, it can lose
nothing. Every Richmond broker,
every Capitol officer, can tell the two
bonds at moments glance. In en-
craving. in coloring, and in other re-
speets they are dissimilar.
THE FIRST SUSPICION.
Some DAYS ago Messrs. John l.. vii
Hams q Son, well-known and highly
Trustworthy brokers and bankers here,
received from Blake, Brothers & Co.,
Boston, telegram asking them to
make all offer for ga, 600 new Virginia
IS, (Riddlebergers) They replied Civ
ing their figures. The Boston firm re-
sponded that no interes, had ever been
collected on these bonds (they were
coupon bonds, and they asked if in
terest was regularly paid by the State.
Williams & Son telegraphed that Vir-
ginia had regularly and promptly paid
the interest ON her new 3s. Then the
Boston firm accepted the price named
and gave the number of their bonds.
Williams d Son now went up to the
Capitol to make inquiries, and from
the books there ascertained that there
were no such bonds outstanding.
There had been new3s of those num-
bers out, but the State had bought
them in and cancelled them And so
the Boston people were informed,
came the following tele
gram:
Boston, Mass, April Is, 1887.
.' .Iohn l.. Williams d, Son, Rich
mOnd.'
1--WE shipped the bonds yesterday to
The First National Bank. Please ex-
anime. IL not all night have them re-
shipped to u.s. We bought of real es- !
tate brokers, who say they have had
dealings with their customers for years. 1
''BLAKE BROTHERS & Co."
TRANSPARENT FoRGRRIEs.
Yesterday Mr.. Williams got the bonds ,
from the First National Bank and took .
them to the Capitol, where they were
at once pronounced forgeries; they !
we're printed, not by the American ,
Company, but by the Kendall Com I,
pany, and were Of the numbers of the
first lot shipped here; they were signed
lin poor imitation) d. IL. ReUetcy, {;
Treasurer, and j. 4. Smith, Second !
Auditor. .
Reveley's signature, in fac simiic, !
on the coupons, and that the
[orger had feebiy counterfeited. He :,
evidently did not know who was Second 9
Auditor, and so pitched upon the
name j. A. Smith. \
No such man has ever been Second !
Auditor. Under the Malone regime, y
where all this trouble started, H. II. !,
Dyson was Second Auditor; now, Col "
onel Frank g. Ruflin is. i
The Boston frm-excellent people, .
thoroughly reliable their friends here s
say-have been informed OF all this, =
and yesterday afternoon the First Ma
Iionsl Bank packed up the lot-Sl4, 900
IN 81, 900 bonds--and placed them in
The express office for reshipment to !,
Boston. Il
.,nw.u A